Standardized Testing Argumentative Essay

While you’re sitting there reading this, there is probably a student at their desk, sweating, shaking, maybe even crying because they are about to take a test. And not just any test, a standardized test. Standardized tests are assessments that are set up where students take the same test so they can be graded on whether or not they meet a certain “standard” set by the state. The students must meet the standard to pass their grade and the school, overall, must meet their own set standards to be held accountable to taxpayers. Because standardized testing, like the STAAR, determines the outcome of students and schools in one day, and something that significant shouldn’t be determined in such a short amount of time, it should be taken out of schools.

But, what is the “standard” everyone is trying to meet? And who determines it? Some believe the “teaching to the test” method used by certain teachers is actually “beneficial” and can “motivate students to excel”(Barth and Mitchell). Even though a small percent of students may be driven by that method, many students are given little to no encouragement going into the test. Yes, standardized tests allow states to see how students are doing and yes, they hold the districts accountable for teaching students the proper things they need in order to move to the next grade, but is that really something that can be tested all in one day? It would make more sense to study the students’ performance levels over the course of the whole school year. This would allow the states to see how the information the students have throughout the year has actually helped them. They can compare the student’s initial scores to mid-year scores, and mid-year scores to final scores; this will challenge the student beat their own standard instead of trying to surpass the unknown standards set by the